The Brahma Kumaris — the “Daughters of Brahma” — is a spiritual movement that began in the 1930s in Hyderabad, a section of British India that is now part of Pakistan. Its founder, Lekhraj Khubchand Kirpalani, also known as Om Baba, was a wealthy jeweler who, in 1935, gave up his business after claiming to have received a series of profound visions. He established a spiritual group called Om Mandali, which emphasized meditation and soul-consciousness over material or social identifiers like caste, gender, and religion.
Om Mandali’s early gatherings revolved around chanting “Om” and spiritual discourse inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. The group attracted mostly women and children from the affluent merchant caste. Within three years, the organization prioritized women’s leadership and rejected caste discrimination. A 22-year-old woman, Radhe Pokardas Rajwani was named president, heading a committee of eight women. The group also advocated celibacy for married women and the right of young women to remain unmarried.
The group’s progressive views ignited backlash. An Anti-Om Mandali Committee was formed and began to harass members. On June 21, 1938, they picketed Om Mandali’s premises, verbally attacked women participants, and even attempted arson. Reports of domestic violence against female members emerged, and both the organization and its opponents faced legal action. A district magistrate ordered Om Mandali to cease meetings, but the ban was overturned later that year.
In response to escalating tensions, Om Mandali relocated to Karachi in late 1938, along with around 300 followers. In 1939, the British colonial government set up a tribunal to investigate the group, ultimately declaring it an “unlawful association.” Despite the ban, the group continued to meet, and an assassination attempt on Om Baba was allegedly made around this time.
Following the partition of India, Om Mandali moved to Rajasthan in 1950. Two years later, they began offering a structured seven-lesson spiritual course, and the group took on its current name: the Brahma Kumaris. From the mid-1950s, it expanded internationally, first to London, and by the 1970s, into Western countries. Spiritual museums promoting its teachings were established in many Indian cities.
The Brahma Kumaris achieved international recognition by the 1980s. It registered with the United Nations Department of Global Communications in 1980 and gained consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council in 1983. Women continued to dominate leadership, and in countries like the UK, they comprised 80% of members, with most centers operated from private homes. While some estimates placed membership at 35,000 in 1993 and 450,000 in 2000, many observers note that a majority of participants may not be fully committed adherents.
Although it has Hindu roots, the Brahma Kumaris distinguish themselves as a spiritual education movement rather than a traditional religion. Their teachings describe humans as souls—subtle, immortal points of spiritual light located in the forehead—distinct from the physical body. All souls, they say, originate from God in a “Soul World” characterized by peace and silence. Unlike Hinduism and Buddhism, they reject the idea of soul transmigration into other life forms.
Their concept of God, the “Supreme Soul,” is similarly incorporeal—a perfect being who never undergoes birth or death and is the loving parent of all souls. Karma is a foundational doctrine: each action brings a corresponding return, and a soul’s future birth depends on its present conduct. Through meditation and thought purification, one can cleanse the soul’s karmic debts and attain a higher spiritual state.
The Brahma Kumaris promote a distinctive lifestyle aimed at spiritual discipline. This includes total celibacy, even within marriage; a sattvic lacto-vegetarian diet (free from eggs, onions, garlic, and spicy foods); and abstention from alcohol, tobacco, and nonprescription drugs. Food is only to be prepared by oneself or other members. Daily routines involve early-morning meditation at 4 a.m. and spiritual classes around 6:30 a.m. Members often wear white to symbolize purity and are encouraged to associate mainly with fellow adherents.
The Brahma Kumaris has faced sharp criticism. Former members and external observers have accused the group of being authoritarian and cult-like. Critics claim that courses like “positive thinking” are used to lure recruits before introducing the more doctrinal aspects of the group. Families have allegedly been required to pay when dedicating daughters to the movement, supposedly to prevent abandonment or misuse of resources.
Some ex-members have also described mental manipulation and psychological damage. They recount being told repeatedly that they were “impure” and “degraded.” Others have raised concerns about class bias and spiritual elitism, alleging that members are taught that larger financial contributions correspond with better placement in the afterlife.
Key Sources:
Daley, P. (2007, April 26). End of the world predicted at meditation lecture. The Keinnyung Gazette.
Hinduism Today. (1995, May 1). Brahma Kumaris: Conquering A Callous World with Purity.
Hodgkinson, L., & Kumaris, B. (2002). Peace and purity: The Story of the Brahma Kumaris, A Spiritual Revolution. HCI.
Kranenborg, R. (1999). Brahma Kumaris: A New Religion? Center for Studies on New Religions.
Lalrinawma, V. S. (2004). The liberation of women in and through the movement of the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris.
Whaling, F. (2012). Understanding the Brahma Kumaris. Dunedin Academic Press.
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